SCHOOL GUIDANCE COUNSELORS
Every student at East Boston High is assigned to one of the following counselors. Students, especially seniors, are encouraged to schedule appointments through the Staff Assistant for each house (J & E: Ms. Antoinette Pendola; T & S & Sped: Ms. Vanessa Bigby). Each counselor is very busy, so please be persistent and patient, and come prepared.
- J House: Ms. Claudia Rodriguez (1st floor)
- E House: Ms. Jacqueline Seda (1st floor)
- T House: Ms. Teni Patterson (2nd floor)
- S House: Ms. Jo-Anne Themo Milano (2nd floor)
- Special Education: Ms. Rosalia Chiulli-Bianchi (2nd floor)
A helpful tool: Twenty Questions to Ask Your Guidance Counselor http://www.collegeboard.com/student/plan/starting-points/114.html
COLLEGE ACCESS PROGRAMS
The college access team supports students, teachers, coaches, administrators, and the guidance team in promoting academic achievement, college & career exploration, and enrollment in postsecondary programs like college or job training. All services are FREE.
Open to all students (by application):
- GEAR UP -- TERI (Room 156)
http://www.gearup.mass.edu/About.aspx
- Works with grades 9-12
- Dual Enrollment (Bunker Hill & Ben Franklin Institute of Technology)
- College awareness
- Tutoring & homework help
- Test prep & fee waivers
- Career exploration
- College application support
- Financial aid support
- Classroom workshops
- College visits
- Talent Search -- TERI (Room 142b, back of Senior Cafe)
http://www2.ed.gov/programs/triotalent/index.html
- Works with grades 9-12
- Individual college advising for Seniors
- College awareness
- Tutoring & homework help
- Test prep & fee waivers
- Career exploration
- College application support
- FAFSA completion and other financial aid support
- Family financial aid events
- College visits
Special college access programs:
- ACCESS Financial Aid Advising (Room 142b, back of Senior Cafe)
http://www.accessedu.org/
- Financial aid application assistance for seniors (FAFSA, CSS Profile, etc.)
- College financing workshops for grades 9-12
- ACCESS scholarship
- Boston Scholar Athlete Program (School library - The Zone)
- http://www.bostonscholarathlete.org/landing/index
Student-athlete support
- Mentoring
- Academic support & tutoring
- Support of Eastie Jets’ sports teams
- College Readiness Initiative
- Let’s Get Ready SAT Preparation (Fall, Spring at EBHS)
http://www.letsgetready.org/
- Free afterschool SAT preparation tutoring
- College exploration
- Open to juniors and seniors
- Mentoring & tutoring from Northeastern University students
- Summer Enrichment at Dartmouth (SEAD) Program (Room 142b)
http://www.dartmouth.edu/~tucker/sead
- Mentoring and academic support
- College awareness
- Placement of Dartmouth College (NH) intern at EBHS
-
www.collegefes.org
- Valuable Resource Section
- East Boston’s CFES Scholars
JOB, INTERNSHIP AND CAREER SUPPORT
Students are encouraged to meet with the Private Industry Council (PIC) Career Specialist in Room 140 to explore job and internship opportunities in the Boston area.
Boston Private Industry Council (Room 140)
http://www.bostonpic.org/
- Job and internship placement, school-year and summer
- Career exploration
- Job Shadowing Day (every February)
- Mock interviews & resume help
- MGH Youth Scholars Program
- Referrals to MCAS Prep programs
CAREERS AND MAJORS
- My Road to College @ The College Board
http://myroad.collegeboard.com/myroad/navigator.jsp?t=homepage&i=index
Starting from Grade 9, students can sign up for a free College Board account and take personality tests, explore career interests, search for colleges, and map out a plan for high school and beyond.
- College Matchmaker @ The College Board
http://collegesearch.collegeboard.com/search/adv_typeofschool.jsp
Research colleges based on location, majors, admissions requirements, sports, activities, and other criteria.
- Colleges and Majors @ The Princeton Review
http://www.princetonreview.com/colleges-majors.aspx
Research college rankings, majors, SAT optional schools, and more; also explore good-fit schools through The School Finder, another college research tool.
- Massachusetts Career Information System (Mass CIS)
http://www.masscis.intocareers.org/loginmain.aspx?SiteType=1
Enter city and zip code to access information on occupations and programs of study in Massachusetts.
- Quintessential Careers
http://www.quintcareers.com/student.html
Read about college planning, careers choices, self assessment, college life, and find samples of college essays for inspiration.
- New York Career Zone
http://www.nycareerzone.org Research career clusters like Engineering & Technology or Health Services, and learn more about specific occupations, job responsibilities, and which careers are in demand.
- U.S. Occupational Outlook Handbook
http://www.bls.gov/oco/ Research job descriptions, training and education requirements, and what fields are expected to grow over the next 10 years.
COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES
- Massachusetts Career Information System (Mass CIS)
http://www.masscis.intocareers.org/loginmain.aspx?SiteType=1
Enter city and zip code to access information on college majors and which MA colleges and job training programs offer specific majors/programs.
- Mass Transfer Block
http://www.mass.edu/masstransfer/Students/TransferBlock.asp
Learn more about the educational and financial benefits of beginning a college education at a community college and then transferring to a 4-year state university.
- Massachusetts System of Public Higher Education
http://www.mass.edu/campuses/phecampuses.asp
Visit this page to find links to all public 2-year community colleges and 4-year state universities in Massachusetts, also on this map: http://www.mass.edu/campuses/MassPublicHigherEdMap.pdf
- Special interest groups
JOB TRAINING PROGRAMS & TRADES
- State-Sponsored Job Training For Youth
http://www.massresources.org/job-programs-youth.html Learn about opportunities for youth to enroll in programs offering technical skills and education.
- Apprenticeship Training (for Trades & Unions)
http://www.massresources.org/apprenticeship-training.html Learn about formal training programs and requirements for work in fields like firefighting, iron-working, and welding.
- Other popular programs for East Boston Students
The Boston area offers dozens of job training programs that are open to high school graduates, and students can ask teachers or counselors for help finding the best fit. Listed below are some popular programs for EBHS graduates.
ADMISSIONS
- MA System of Higher Education: Admissions Standards
http://www.mass.edu/shared/documents/admissions/admissionsstandards.pdf
While community colleges are “open admissions” and will accept all students with a high school diploma or GED, state 4-year universities often require a minimum 2.0 GPA. More information about GPA and SAT requirements is provided in this document.
- NCAA Eligibility Center (for prospective college-level athletes)
http://web1.ncaa.org/ECWR2/NCAA_EMS/NCAA.jsp
Students looking to participate in Division I or Division II intercollegiate sports must meet minimum requirements established by the NCAA.
- College Board College Search Tool
http://collegesearch.collegeboard.com/search/index.jsp
Students can visit this website to learn about the desired GPA and SAT score ranges for students applying to a specific college. Admissions information for most schools is available in the “At A Glance” and “SAT” section of a school’s profile.
COMPLETING APPLICATIONS
- Senior Year Action Plan @ The College Board
http://www.collegeboard.com/student/plan/action/seniors.html
College planning should start before your senior year, but here is a helpful guide for what seniors should be working on throughout their last year of high school.
College Application Organizers
Staying organized is essential! Many students will miss deadlines or submit incomplete applications because they have not taken the time to keep track of all requirements. The following links offer some useful tools that students can print or use for inspiration.
- The Common Application
Many colleges across the United States accept the Common Application in place of a school-specific form. For example, if a student is applying to 6 schools and 4 of them accept a Common Application, that student will only have to complete 3 applications total. Students can print PDF versions to practice with as worksheets, but the forms are usually submitted online.
COLLEGE ESSAYS & PERSONAL STATEMENTS
The college essay is an opportunity for each student to add more personality to his or her college application materials. Originality and proofreading are essential! Students are encouraged to discuss their essay topics and drafts before submitting them to colleges.
RESOURCES FOR STUDENTS &FAMILIES
We encourage families and students to explore all options for paying for college. The following resources offer free information on how families can plan for a college education .
RECURSOS EN ESPAÑOL
SCHOLARSHIP WEBSITES
The following websites offer information about scholarships that are available to students looking to attend college or training programs. This is not a complete or fully updated list, but many East Boston graduates have had success with scholarships by exploring the following:
- General research
- Special interest scholarships
- Multiple-year scholarships (a limited list)
- John and Abigail Adams Scholarship: http://www.osfa.mass.edu/default.asp?page=adamsScholarship
- Christian Herter Scholarship: http://www.osfa.mass.edu/default.asp?page=herterScholarship
- POSSE Foundation: http://www.possefoundation.org/
- Gates Millennium Scholars Program: http://www.gmsp.org/
- Stephen Phillips Memorial Scholarship: http://www.phillips-scholarship.org/
- Quest Scholars Program: http://questscholars.org/qsphome.html/li>
IMMIGRATION & ADVOCACY RESOURCES
Most government financial assistance and many scholarships are only open to U.S. citizens and permanent residents. Students who are not sure about their legal status or who are looking for confidential counseling can make use of these free resources:
- East Boston Ecumenical Community Council (EBECC)
http://www.ebecc.org/
- Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy (MIRA) Coalition
http://www.miracoalition.org/
- City of Boston: Office of New Bostonians
http://www.cityofboston.gov/newbostonians/programs/
- Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Service Agencies
http://www.massresources.org/immigrant-agencies.html
- Resources for the Haitian Community (Boston Public Health Commission)
http://www.bphc.org/documents/haiti_support.pdf
- Brazilian Immigration Center
http://www.braziliancenter.org/